My “Hot August Nights” were beset with AI conflict. I, the Solitary Man, raged against the machine. HI- Human Intelligence- spent a week matching wits against AI.
While it was my wife who actually encountered a real cyber intelligence in the form of the “Terminator” at Gold’s Gym, I was wrestling with cyber space. While my wife’s encounter with Arnold was educational as he offered her assistance in the art of pumping iron, all of my heavy lifting was painstakingly learned by struggling with a keyboard and the blinding glare from my computer screen. I was to defeat Skynet before it took over!
My HI vs. AI conflict concerned a post about a real-life engagement with VP and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris. From the post’s initial development stage, I thought the story was benign, touching and offered a teaching moment. To boot, the story involved me, in a twisted way, being able to take credit for a good deed; a mitzvah of the third kind.
The post addressed my impression of VP Harris early in her rising political career. The moment offered up some unique insight as to the possible origins of her infamous “salad” speak. The post discussed my wife and I’s reaction to our first taste of “word salad.”
Within the post, I folded into the tale of my best friend’s act of kindness. Because he was a Democratic Party operative, I invited him and covered his ticket so he could meet then Attorney General Harris.
He, as always, made the best of the event as he, seeing that the then Attorney General Harris was in need of assistance, voluntarily helped Ms. Harris and enabled her to have a successful event. After, they spent some time together discussing career trajectories.
All of my preconceptions that this post was full of rainbows, unicorns and sunshine were dashed when I clicked the AI Feedback button. The AI told me essentially that I was too critical and disrespectful towards a political figure. My language was somehow harsh and offensive.
I engaged AI in a game of “political correctness chicken”. With each post revision, I just ever so softened my language. I wondered what would be the line or word upon which the AI would drop its negative assessment. It turned out that the word “failed” was the roadblock. Describing Ms. Harris as having “failed” in doing something was enough to trigger the AI. Not only did I play chicken, this ended up as a high-tech game of literary “you bet your life”.
The Lesson: AI has its own values and imposes them upon your creativity or tone. Tone, per AI, may simply be the use of certain words that fall into the category of harsh or overly critical.
August’s Other Offerings
August contained many other posts intended to help educate, stimulate and inform.
I took a chance and went a little creepy on the title Of Crossing Over? Re’eh. It was not about psychic phenomena. Rather, it discussed the concept of carrying over one’s values into new circumstances or environments. Titles are certainly one of the pillars for a post’s success in drawing views. Sometimes, you have to take chances.
This post was also unique in that I had written 75 percent of the post. At that point, I threw out 70 percent of the material and worked off of the remaining paragraph. Sometimes, certain ideas don’t work within the broad concept. One must have courage to delete much in order to make an effective piece.
August was also a moment of personal risk taking. Having done a book review of “Who “Actually” Wrote the Bible”, I contacted the author and provided him a link. He graciously responded. I was curious as to how I did.
Professor Schneiderwind appreciated that I noted some things within his book. For those who love exploring the Hebrew Bible’s origins, it is an essential book. The book, however, I recommend reading after reading the books of Professor Friedman and Professor Wright. Professor Schneiderwind’s work provides goes far more in depth as to how the scribal community made an impact on the Hebrew Bible. .
The post No to Recycling? Eikev touched on how inanimate objects can carry with them narratives. Again, this was another one in which I attempted to get edgy with my title.
The Eleventh Commandment is a touchy subject. In writing a religious oriented blog, there is the concern over the orthodoxy of the opinions expressed. Thus, the post was done in a manner to allow for ones personal and political expression be made. This was done out of concern that my alignment with religious practices and procedures are not necessarily in accord with mainstream thought. Thus, I gave myself the freedom to offer up my own thoughts.
While modern society takes gender roles, the ancient world’s concept of marriage was more imaginative than we are. The post Of O.T. Marriage tackles the allusions of sex roles on grander scale. Scripture takes the concept of of marriage and expands it beyond human relationships. For instance- while not the subject of the post- there is the notion of the Sabbath Bride.
O.T. Gaslighting was a post for which I received a pat on the back. A good friend, editor, and writer commented that this was perhaps the best writing I have done with the blog. The post illustrates that what is the new-gaslighting- is actually something from the past. Further, our modern day understanding of gaslighting perhaps unlocks the scripture’s intent.
In the Beginning takes a swipe at both the Media and Academia over their treatment of the Ten Commandments Laws- the display of the Decalogue in public schools.
Children, if they are to understand matters such as the Ten Commandments, must begin somewhere. Thus, the critics of Ten Commandments’ laws for public schools are simply ridiculous to attack the laws based upon assertions of faulty scholarship.
In sum, hopefully, the all too hot August yielded a post or two that brought you some thoughts, a smile or some enlightenment.
Be well!!
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The Ten Commandments Project 